With a star studded cast, Netflix's The Adam Project is currently trending on the Top 10 watch list. The sci-fi film stars some of Hollywoods biggest actors Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo and more, but Fil-Canadian Alex Mallari Jr. also shares the spotlight in the full length feature as Christos. Mallari's character, Christos is an old colleague of Adam (Reynolds) and Laura (Saldana) who's now a ruthless security enforcer. Let's take a look at his journey and career with these 5 facts about the Fil-Canadian actor.
1. Alex migrated to Toronto from Lubao City, Pampanga
He moved to Toronto or Scarborough, Ontario to be exact at 4 years old with his Inang (grandmother). He became a Taekwondo athlete, rising to the national level as a third degree black belt. He studied criminology at University of Toronto until he decided to chase his entertainment dreams.
2. He started acting after a sports injury
As a Junior Canadian National Taekwondo champion, he had to give up that dream at 13 years old. Although he then turned to basketball, his athletic career came to a close because of an injury and had to find a different avenue. While attending the University of Toronto, he heard an ad looking for models or individuals interested in acting. Luckily for us, Alex gave them a call and the rest is history.
3. Alex looks to take on more roles on film than TV
Although he got his big break on the Syfy series, Dark Matter, Alex's credits extend to other series like Nikita, Beauty and The Beast, Designated Survivor, and Netflix's Ginny and Georgia where he plays a Filipino Texan private investigator with the deep Texan accent. Many of the roles he auditions for are open ethnicity roles, but luckily the few Filipino characters he's auditioned for he got! Alex hopes to see more representation and help others recognize that Filipinos exist in the world.
"In films, you can work on a scene until you get to the emotional part of storytelling. I want to do more movies as it fulfills my artistic needs."
4. He gave a small nod to Filipinos in The Adam Project.
While making the film, Alex had one request for the stunt coordinator, Jim Churchman. He wanted to use the baston or arnis sticks which are traditionally used in Filipino martial arts. Luckily Alex was able to persuade the stunt coordinator and squeeze in 2 arnis sticks during the fighting sequences in the film.
5. Alex can go from action films to playing a rom-com leading man
He's set to star in a Canadian digital series, Hello (again) created and co-produced by Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings star, Simu Liu. The series will be a combo of rom-com and a little bit of a k-drama. It's about an overworked line-cook (Mallari Jr.) who rescues a supernatural girl. He'll try to break out of a time loop after traveling back in time to say "hello again" to an ex-girlfriend. Watch out for the series as it's set to drop March 25th on CBC Gem.
Cover Photo Credit: Alex Mallari Jr. Twitter
If you're late to the party like us, add Netflix's Ginny and Georgia to your watchlist now. The show focuses on the Miller family, who move for the third time to the fictional town of Wellsbury, Massachusetts. Although 15-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) is more mature than her 30-year-old mother Georgia (Brianne Howey), she still just wants to fit and get that high school experience. Ginny, Georgia, and Austin look to adjust to their new lives while escaping old secrets.
While binging, the show does well in including a diversified cast and storylines. Fil-Canadian actors Chelsea Clark and Alex Mallari Jr. have reoccurring roles in the show as Norah and PI Gabriel Cordova. Chelsea Clark is from Toronto and a Degrassi alum. Her character Abby is one-fourth of MANG and the fashionista of the group.
Alex Mallari Jr. was born in the Philippines and then moved to Canada. He is known for his work on shows like Dark Matter, Shadowhunters, and Designated Survivor. PI Gabriel Cordova is out to find the truth about Georgia Miller and expose her secrets. Their characters on Ginny and Georgia play crucial roles in the lives of the Miller family.
The show has loads of twists and turns and WTF moments. It isn't as peachy as Gilmore Girls, but still has the mother-daughter relationship at its core. Ginny and Georgia are renewed for a Season 2, but until then catch the first season on Netflix!
Cover Photo Credit: Deadline.com and Netflix
